The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $4.2 million in January, a strong kickoff to what appears to be a challenging election cycle.

After picking up two seats in November, Democrats entered the 2014 election cycle with a 55-45 Senate majority and $3 million in the bank as of Jan. 30. Despite the added cushion, the party faces a lopsided landscape that put its control of the chamber in jeopardy next year, if Republicans can capitalize. Democrats are defending 21 seats, compared with 14 for the GOP.

The committee released its fundraising figures Wednesday, when monthly reports were due to the Federal Election Commission. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is still revving up for the cycle under new leadership, had not yet announced its monthly fundraising.

The DSCC did not release the amount of debt it has left over from last cycle, and neither committee's report was available by press time. As of Dec. 31, the DSCC carried $16 million in debt and the NRSC owed $10 million.